‘I thought I was tired because of stress from my new job then doctors told me I only had years left to live’

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A father-of-three who served 24 years within the RAF earlier than being identified with stage 4 bowel most cancers has told males they need to not really feel embarrassed about getting their prostates checked, as a “digit up the bum” might save their life.

RAF Sergeant Ian Trushell, 49, from Northumberland, thought that his unusually low vitality ranges had been simply linked to the “stress” of beginning a new job at Royal Air Force Boulmer, when in reality he only had years to stay.

But Ian, who has at all times been “fit as a fiddle” and by no means smoked or drank a lot alcohol, knew it was extra critical when one morning he went to the bathroom with a tummy ache and handed rather a lot of “deep dark blood”.

He was identified with stage 4 bowel most cancers on August 31, 2022 and was later told that surgical procedure was not an possibility because the illness had already unfold to many elements of his liver.

Ian and his spouse Sarah Trushell, 38, stated telling their three kids, Henry, 14, George, 15, and Eloise, 17, was the toughest half, as they didn’t know whether or not he would survive till Christmas 2022.

Sixteen rounds of chemotherapy later, Ian has discovered a specialist most cancers therapy in Germany which isn’t accessible to him on the NHS and will assist delay his life past his preliminary two-year prognosis.

It prices about £50,000 and the household have launched a fundraiser on JustGiving to assist them foot the invoice.

Ian hopes his expertise will likely be a lesson to others who really feel embarrassed about going to see a health care provider and run the chance of leaving it too late.

“I’ve been in the RAF for 24 years and I’m a runner who never smoked, was not a drinker and have always been healthy,” Ian told PA Real Life.

“So I want people to see this and think, well if it could happen to him, it could happen to anyone.

“Even if you are fit as a fiddle, if you have any concerns, your energy levels are low or you’re passing blood, then get yourself to the doctor’s.

“They’ll check for piles, which is a finger up the bum, and I know some people get embarrassed about that.

“But I want people to get over that and look at the bigger picture that they may catch your cancer early.

“So don’t be daft, because it could literally save your life.”

Ian “always had stomach issues” and thought he could also be struggling from irritable bowel syndrome or a dairy intolerance.

But throughout a four-month deployment to Oman in late 2021, he began feeling unusually exhausted after his day by day run.

“It was quite a stressful deployment because at the time everyone was pulling out of Afghanistan,” he stated.

“I felt OK but 5km runs which I normally don’t have any issues with felt like half marathons.

“I just put it down to stress, the heat and just getting older, so I didn’t think anything of it.”

The fatigue continued after Ian returned to the UK in July 2022 and began a new function as an data communications technician at Royal Air Force Boulmer close to Alnwick in Northumberland.

Ian would stroll or cycle alongside the seashore to work, about an eight-mile journey, however felt “absolutely shattered” and “worn out” by the point he arrived.

Then, about three months into the new job, alarm bells went off when Ian went to the bathroom with a tummy ache and handed rather a lot of “deep dark blood”.

“I could tell it wasn’t good because it was really deep dark blood and there was a lot of it,” he stated.

He went straight to the bottom’s medical unit the place a GP checked him for piles, that are lumps in and across the anus, however to his shock there have been none.

“He said don’t worry about it just yet, chances are it could be internal piles,” stated Ian.

“Obviously it’s a digit up the bum and he couldn’t find anything.”

Ian was referred for a colonoscopy, a medical process the place an extended, skinny, versatile tube with a small digicam is used to examine the bowels for any issues.

“It’s not pleasant, but it needs to be done,” stated Ian.

“Afterwards the doctor said that he would prefer to be wrong, but that in his opinion, he had seen what could only be described as a cancerous growth.”

Ian hoped the expansion might merely be eliminated, however a CT and MRI scan confirmed the most cancers had already unfold to his liver.

“I wasn’t a candidate for surgery because the metastasis on my liver was akin to a shotgun blast, where it’s scattered all over,” he stated.

Ian was identified with stage 4 bowel most cancers on August 31, 2022 and told that working was not going to be an possibility.

“It was a surreal moment because the surgeon’s tone of voice was so negative,” he stated.

“When we left the appointment, I didn’t know if I would still be alive at Christmas [2022].

“They just let you leave and you’re like, cheers, maybe see you later, maybe not.”

Ian’s spouse Sarah stated that this was a very troublesome time because they didn’t have a “plan of attack” and that she didn’t sleep for 2 weeks.

“It just felt like they had given him a death sentence because never mind Christmas, I was like are you going to survive the week?” stated Sarah.

Ian met a most cancers specialist, often known as an oncologist, just a few weeks later and was placed on eight rounds of chemotherapy.

He was additionally told that the typical prognosis for somebody along with his situation is 2 years.

The “hardest” half was delivering the information to their three teenage kids Henry, George and Eloise.

Ian stated: “How do you sugarcoat something like that to children? You can’t.

“In the end I couldn’t tell them – I couldn’t face it.

“I took the dogs out for a walk while Sarah told them.

“Rightly or wrongly we waited until we had that chemo plan to tell them because otherwise I would have completely broken down,” added Sarah.

“Obviously they were upset but they took it incredibly well and I think that’s because I was able to say right, and here’s the plan, here’s what’s going to happen.”

The couple contacted one other oncologist to get a second opinion and have joined a quantity of assist teams, together with the Bowel Cancer UK Forum and Colontown, which Sarah stated have been very useful.

They found a quantity of specialist most cancers therapies and, specifically, one referred to as TACE, which blocks off the tumour’s blood provide and delivers a excessive dose of chemo immediately to the liver.

Unfortunately, these aren’t accessible to Ian on the NHS and he’s having to go non-public which is able to price hundreds of kilos.

To assist cowl the fee, the household have launched a fundraiser for £50,000 on JustGiving which has already acquired £20,458.

To assist Ian go to: www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/Sgt-Ian-Trushell.

“It’s just a case of keeping me alive for as long as possible,” stated Ian, who has now had 16 rounds of chemotherapy in complete.

“Situations like this really show you how generous people are.

“It really spurs you on, it’s like I’m fighting for them now too.”

Pascale Harvie, president and basic supervisor of JustGiving, stated: “I was very sorry to hear Ian’s story but, like so many others, I’m inspired by his strength and dedication in not only beating this devastating illness but also in his efforts to raise vital awareness of getting checked.

“Hundreds of generous people across communities have so far supported Ian and we can’t wait to see him reach his crowdfunding target, so he can get the treatment he needs.”